Historic Jesus

THE HISTORIC JESUS
M.M.NINAN
Writing from prison to encourage his son to pursue wisdom,
Mara bar Serapion writes:
“What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates
to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment
for their crime.
What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning
Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand.
What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise
king? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished.
God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died
of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the
Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete
dispersion.
But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the teaching
of Plato.
Pythagoras did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of
Hera.
Nor did the wise king die for good; he lived on in the teaching
which he had given.”
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